An Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet - Prajna Quest

BOOTAN. 55Murichom. For the best explanation of its construction, I refer to theannexed plan and sections, constructed from a measurement of the differentparts. Plate III. A perspective view of it, and the adjacentscenery, is given in Plate IV.Only one horse is admitted to go over it at a time : it swings as youtread upon it, reacting at the same time with a force that impels you,every step you take, to quicken your pace. It may be necessary tosay, in explanation of the plan, that on the five chains that supportthe platform, are placed several layers of strong coarse mats of bamboo,loosely put down, so as to play with the swing of the bridge ; andthat a fence on each side, of the same materials, contributes to thesecurity of the passenger. A similar bridge, over the river Tees, isdescribed by Hutchinson, in his History and Antiquities of Durham.•'About two miles above Middleton; where the river falls in repeatedcascades, a bridge, suspended on iron chains, is stretched from rockto rock, over a chasm near sixty feet deep, for the passage of travellers,but particularly for miners : the bridge is seventy feet in length,and littlemore than two feet broad, with a hand rail on one side, andplanked in such a manner that the traveller experiences all the tremulousmotion of the chain, and sees himself suspended over a roaringgulph, on an agitated restless gangway, to which few travellers daretrust themselves."The castle of Chuka makes a very respectable appearance. It isa large square building, placed on elevated ground t there is only oneentrance into it,by a flight of steps, and through a spacious gateway,with large heavy doors : it is built of stone, and the walls are of a pro-